


I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

by alexcat



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 06:25:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16969374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexcat/pseuds/alexcat
Summary: Tony and Steve find each other under the mistletoe.





	I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ToneeStark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToneeStark/gifts).



_Then happy, singing on your way,_  
_Your world will change from night to day;_  
_Your heart will feel the message real,_  
_Of peace on earth, good will to men._  
~ Longfellow

*

It was almost Christmas, and Maria Hill had found a getaway for the Avengers for the holidays. It was a tiny little hotel in the Bavarian Alps. It was off the beaten path so they weren’t likely to run into hordes of paparazzi or even the rich kids hanging out at the more fashionable ski resorts. This one was nestled in the Alps away from the towns and resorts, yet close enough to go skiing if they wanted. 

They drove there from Munich in a couple of large vans. The hotel was down several winding country roads and suddenly, there it was, looking like a large house in the middle of nowhere. The surrounding mountains and valleys were covered a blanket of snow. It looked quite like a postcard scene.

“Looks like we should have brought some snuggling partners,” Bruce said to Natasha. 

“Well, I’m here with all you gorgeous men. Surely I can find one of you to snuggle with.” 

Tony and Steve were in the second row of seats in the three row van. Tony leaned forward and told Natasha, “You can snuggle with me if want to.”

“I figured you and Steve were going to be roomies this week,” she teased back. 

“Nah, he snores too much,” Tony answered without missing a beat. 

The truth was he’d give anything to share a room and a bed with Steve Rogers. He’d been crushing on his teammate for a while now, but Steve didn’t seem to feel the same way. As best he could tell, Rogers was a straight as a stick. He’d probably faint if he knew some of the daydreams Tony had had about him. 

Since the Avengers and some of the SHIELD support that they’d worked with closely were a group of just over forty, Hill had booked the entire hotel. The hotel had a nice brunch laid out in the dining room when they arrived, so they all gathered there while the staff delivered their luggage to their rooms. 

Champagne was served with a buffet of lunch foods and since it was so cold, there were hearty soups and mulled wine, coffee, and hot cocoa available.

After brunch, they all scattered to their rooms to get settled in. 

Tony actually had a double room with a large bed and Steve had a single room with a smaller bed. They were side by side. The rooms were not huge, but rather cozy and each had a lovely, little balcony that looked out onto the Alps or the snow covered pasture land surrounding the hotel. 

* 

The holiday had been Fury’s idea. He wanted his team to remain a team.

Tony wondered, as he rummaged through his bags for his tools and his second tablet, if Fury had meant for the place to be such a romantic little getaway. He sort of wished Pepper had come with them, but they weren’t getting along very well right now. She simply thought it was time he hung up the Iron Man suit and grow up. 

But he couldn’t do that. He really was Iron Man. And hanging up his suit would not change that. 

Damn! He’d told himself he wouldn’t moan over Pepper on this trip. 

He was certain there was a bar downstairs. Did they have single malt in Germany? He’d find out soon enough. 

*

Steve Rogers had little to unpack but he unpacked his jeans and new winter clothes, a few books he’d brought along and a photo that Natasha had tracked down of Peggy Carter. 

In the few months since he’d thawed, he’d been busy. They had fought several battles and gone on even more missions. He hoped to work more with the Avengers, even if it included Stark. 

Stark was certainly a piece of work. 

The man was so much like Howard, much older than Howard had been when he knew him, yet Tony still seemed like a kid. Maybe it was because he, himself, was in his actual nineties, even though he was still twenty something in being alive and thawed years. 

Stark made him want to scream sometimes. He was even more arrogant than Howard, if that was possible. He had no respect for anyone or anything either, it seemed, by the way he made fun of everything in that nonstop patter that he had going all the time. 

The way Stark looked at him sometimes made him uncomfortable. He felt like Stark was sizing him up for something; he just wasn’t sure what yet. He wasn’t completely sure he wanted to know. 

He probably should finish those damn reports he brought with him. He pulled the folders out of his suitcase and sat down at the small bar to read. The forms were actually on the tablet that Maria Hill had given him, but he preferred to write his reports out longhand so she’d agreed that he could do so as long he scanned them with his phone and sent them to her instead of giving her stacks of manila folders with his neat mix of cursive and printing on them.

He lost himself for the next hour or so in work. Hunger finally drove him to stop and think about food. He realized he felt gritty from travel and needed a shower before he ventured out. He showered and dressed in his usual khaki’s and a warm brown sweater. He glanced at himself in the mirror and headed downstairs, satisfied that he was presentable. 

*

The front of the lodge was a huge room with high, wooden ceilings and a large fireplace on one end. It had several sofas and chairs scattered about and a couple of coffee tables for setting cups and mugs. The other end of the room held a small bar. The dining room was adjoining and food could be eaten in front of the large, roaring fire.

Tony was sitting by the fire, drinking. There was already one empty glass in front of him and he was near the end of the second one. 

“Stark,” Steve said and nodded in a cool greeting as he headed to the other room to see if there was anything to eat. 

“Going skiing with Romanov and the others?” Tony gestured to him to sit when he returned with food and bottle of water. 

Natasha and a group of the SHEILD agents were going night skiing at one of the nearby slopes. 

“No. I brought reports to finish up for Agent Hill. She’s a stickler for paperwork.” 

“All work and no play…” Stark let the sentence drift. 

Natasha came into the room at that moment. “You two look like old men sitting around here. Why don’t you come with us? You might have some fun, Rogers.”

“Not even sure I know what that is, Natasha. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Your loss,” she said as several others came into the room. “Time to go.” She headed out.

Tony looked at Steve. “Are you really working tonight?”

“I’ll have them done. Then maybe I can see if I remember how to have fun.” 

Tony nodded and went back to his glass. Steve headed upstairs to finish reports. 

* 

Later, near midnight, Steve got out of his clothes, into sweats, and got into his bed, pulling the thick quilts up to his chin and kind of rolling up in them. He wished there was someone to snuggle with, to keep warm. Coming here might have been a mistake. He felt more alone here than he had back at Stark Tower in New York.

It did no good to feel sorry for himself. Even before the serum, he’d not wasted time feeling self-pity. That was why he’d never given up trying to join up, why he wanted to stop the bullies. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep, but sleep refused to come. 

He wondered if Stark was still downstairs drinking. He’d met few people who put away as much liquor as Stark, though the only real difference he could tell was that the man became a little more obnoxious the more he drank. 

He gave up after an hour and got up. He checked that he’d finished all of the reports, checked the time, his email on his tablet. He dressed and went downstairs. 

Tony Stark was asleep on the sofa. He had fallen asleep (or passed out) sitting where he’d been all evening. Steve picked him up and carried him up to his room, opening the door with the old fashioned key, and taking him inside. He put him on the bed, watching as Stark settled back into a deep sleep without ever really waking up. Before leaving, he pulled off Stark’s shoes and covered him with the quilt. 

Without thinking, he smoothed a lock of unruly dark hair back from Tony’s face. He froze as Tony mumbled something unintelligible. He didn’t move at all until Stark was snoring softly then he went back to his own room. 

In his own room, he realized that he’d wanted to kiss Stark. As much as he didn’t _want_ it, there was an attraction he felt for his brash companion. There was certainly something about Howard Stark’s handsome son that made Steve’s heart beat a little faster. 

He wasn’t shocked that he thought of another man. Steve liked women, but most of the lovers he’d had, and those were few, had been men. They’d been other soldiers during the war. The women had been the USO girls when he did that horrible bond campaign. He’d loved Peggy Carter, too, but all they’d ever had time for were a few kisses. 

He did something then that he didn’t often do. He slid his hands inside his sweatpants and touched himself. He thought about kissing Stark again, then thought of doing other things to Stark. No one heard his soft grunts as spent himself on his belly. After he’d cleaned up his mess, he finally fell asleep. 

*

The dining room was noisy and busy when Steve arrived downstairs. Rhodes was telling stories about him and Tony at MIT. 

“The smell was so bad that we had to move to another classroom for a week…” Rhodes finished a tale as Steve poured himself some juice and filled his plate with cold meats, cheeses, fruit and several soft boiled eggs. He drizzled honey over a warm roll and found a seat at one of the tables, beside Tony, oddly enough. 

“Got enough food, Cap?” Tony asked. He had a roll and a cup of coffee. 

Steve shrugged. “Takes a lot to feed the serum. I’m a big boy.” 

Stark said, almost under his breath, “You sure are.”

Steve ignored it and nodded hello to Natasha when she grinned at him. 

“Going skiing with us today, Cap? You should have seen Barton and Banner! They were truly -”

“Awful!” Bruce supplied. 

Everyone good - naturedly agreed with him. 

“I don’t know if my ego or my ass has the most bruises,” Barton added with a laugh. 

“I don’t know how to ski. I kind of like the lodge here,” Steve offered.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you and Stark were snuggling while we were away.” 

“Not happening. Rogers is too old for me,” Tony supplied as he got up for more coffee. “I draw the line at ninety.” 

Snow came in that afternoon and fell so hard that they all stayed in. Out came the poker cards and soon, the Avengers, Rhodes and Maria Hill were all playing old fashioned Seven Card Stud. Steve acted as dealer and the bet values were $1 and $2 bets. Within an hour, Natasha had a stack of money and no one was left, but Stark. 

“I’m out of cash. Will you take a watch?” he asked Natasha. “If not, then I’m done.” 

“I’ll take your pants,” she teased. 

“Too cold to go without those,” he shot back. “I could, uh, get them to you later.” 

“In your dreams, Stark! Looks like I won,” she crowed as she gathered her winnings. 

After the game, everyone seemed to break up into small groups. Natasha was sitting on one sofa, chatting away with Banner, who blushed and blustered a lot. Maria Hill and Rhodes appeared to be discussing work, if the way they used their hands was any indication. Clint and a couple of the SHEILD agents he’d worked with chatted about archery, with Clint promising lessons to several of them when they got back to Stark Tower. 

Stark sat alone, doing something on his tablet that seemed to require a lot of concentration.

Steve was on the other side of the great room, watching everyone else. He didn’t even notice that Stark had risen and walked over to where he sat. 

“Got a few minutes to talk suits?” Stark asked him. 

“Huh?” Steve had not been paying attention. 

“Suits? I have some ideas to improve yours. Want to come up to my room and talk about it?” 

Steve nodded. “Sure. Why not?” 

Neither of them noticed that all the Avengers watched them climb the stairs. 

Once in Stark’s room, he pulled out schematics and showed Steve how he could make the integrity of the material 23% stronger without making it heavier or bulkier. Steve was impressed. He also liked the darker color that Stark proposed, one that didn’t stand out so brightly. 

“Thanks, Stark. I, uh -”

“Forget about it. Just doing my job. Trying to make us all safer.” 

Steve wasn’t sure if he was dismissed or what, so he headed to the door. 

“Hang on, I’ll go back down with you.” Tony put his schematics aside and rose. They went back downstairs. Steve had meant to go to his own room, but didn’t want to tell Stark that. 

Everyone hung out most of the day in front of the fire. A few paired off and disappeared during the course of the afternoon as well. 

The Avengers suited up in coats, boots and hats and went walking in the snow. Steve liked it. The cold didn’t bother him and he was antsy with several days of downtime with no real physical exertion. Tony complained of the cold the entire walk, with Rhodes calling him Granny Stark. 

“You’re older than I am,” Tony reminded him. 

Rhodes just laughed. “But I’m not acting like an old woman. You are.” 

Tony laughed, but they all knew he was irritated. Everyone steered clear to let him cool down. Everyone but Steve. 

“You really are an ass sometimes,” Steve said to him as they walked along the deserted road in front of the lodge. 

“Thanks, Cap. I like you, too.”

“Like Natasha says, chill out.” 

“I’m fucking freezing. You can’t get more chill than that.” 

“Wanna go back? Get some cocoa? Warm in front of the fire?” Steve made the offer sincerely and to his surprise, Tony nodded. 

“Yes. Let’s. I, uh, let’s just say the cold bothers my old bones.”

The two of them headed back, dressed in warm, dry clothes and ended up in front of the fire, Steve with a huge mug of hot cocoa and Tony will a glass of scotch. The conversation was awkward, as it usually was for a while, then Tony asked about his father and WWII. 

Steve began to talk, regaling Tony with stories that made neither him nor Howard look as perfect as the stories had come out when Howard told them to his son years later. Soon they were both laughing over how much the kid from Brooklyn had to learn when he was catapulted into the larger world by the serum. 

Tony had seen photos of tiny Steve. He was curious.

“How did it actually feel to be so big and strong, all of a sudden?” 

“Awkward. I broke things, I tripped over my own feet. I had to learn not to hold things so tightly because I’d crush them.”

“Did it feel weird to be healthy after being so sick all the time?” 

“It did. I was used to never being able to take a deep breath. I took medicines all the time.”

The others came back, noisy and laughing, cold and wet. Steve helped several of them get theirs coats hung up and got warm drinks to warm them. 

“So what have you girls been doing?” Natasha asked. 

“Planning a sewing bee,” Tony told her with a grin. His mood had improved a lot with some warmth and a little liquor. 

The days passed and it got nearer to Christmas. The innkeeper brought a tall tree in to the great room, along with boxes of ornaments, tinsel, and all the things needed for a beautiful tree. Everyone joined in decorating. There were cookies and treats on a sideboard for all the tree decorators as well as Christmas music playing on the sound system. 

Steve held Natasha up high so she could put the star on the top of the tree. It was a tiny device that Stark had made that glowed under its own power, not unlike his Arc Reactor. They all oohed and ahhed when the lights were dimmed and the tree glittered and winked in the soft light. 

Tony and Steve’s little talks had continued and they could usually be found sitting on the two perpendicular sofas talking during the evenings and on snowy days as well. The other Avengers had noticed their friendship, and someone put mistletoe in the doorway of the great room, expressly for the purpose of catching Steve and Tony under it. 

* 

On Christmas Eve, they had a large pork roast, a roasted goose, red cabbage, potato dumplings, baked apples and many other treats. They had spiced wine and plenty of it. Tony even put his ever present scotch aside to drink the warmed wine. 

They all exchanged small gifts, mostly humorous things like Iron Man underwear and Captain America key chains.

Steve and Tony found themselves engrossed in conversation about Christmases they remembered. Steve had become much fonder of Tony than he’d expected. The thoughts of being even closer to Tony had kept him warm a few nights since they’d been here as well. 

Tony’s thoughts were along the same lines. He’d been trying to figure a way to accidently touch Steve or fall into his arms. So far, no opportunity had presented itself. He might have to do something soon. 

“Hey, where’d everyone go?” Steve looked around. 

“It’s nearly midnight. Maybe they’re waiting for Santa.” 

“I guess we should go to bed, too. Natasha will be banging on doors early in the morning.” 

Tony laughed. “God, yes, and she’ll make us go out in the damned cold and walk or something.” 

Steve grinned. “That’s our Natasha. I’ll see you in the morning, Stark. Merry Christmas.” 

They both headed through the door at the same time and bumped shoulders. Tony looked and saw the mistletoe above them. He nodded to Steve and looked up. For a moment, Steve Rogers looked as scared as Tony felt. 

Then he made a ‘why not?’ gesture and kissed Stark on the cheek. Before he could pull away, Tony put a hand behind his head and pulled Steve’s mouth to his. The kiss was brief and sweet, a simple touch of the lips. It was what Tony said next that started the fire. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that since we were flying Loki to the helicarrier.” 

Steve didn’t answer him, instead he pulled Tony into his arms and kissed him properly, bodies pressed close, parted lips, hearts pounding. Steve pressed Tony against the door frame. 

“My room or yours?” Tony whispered to him when they parted for a moment. 

Steve laughed, a low rumble. “What? You don’t like public sex?” 

“Bruce might faint.” Tony joined in him in laughter. “Makes it tempting.” 

“Your room. Bigger bed. Now.” Steve took Tony’s hand and they hurried upstairs. 

Once inside the room, they didn’t talk much more for a while. Their kisses became more heated, more passionate as hands began to wander. Tony cupped Steve’s ass in both hands and pulled him closer, taking the opportunity to grind their bodies together. 

Steve was working on uncovering the upper part of Tony’s body. He pulled Tony’s sweater off and saw the glow of the Arc Reactor through the t-shirt that Tony had on under the sweater. 

“You really were cold,” he murmured as he pulled the t-shirt off, too. “God, it’s beautiful,” he said as the bluish glow filled the room. He put a hand over the reactor, touching it gently as if he were touching Tony’s chest itself. 

“I’d have shown it to you earlier if I’d known you get so excited,” Tony told him as he moved his hands to get rid of Steve’s shirt. A light dusting of hair spread over Steve’s impressive musculature. Tony leaned down to kiss a flat nipple. 

Steve’s breath hissed out. 

Emboldened, Tony sucked the tiny bud until it hardened under his tongue. 

Steve tangled his hands in Tony’s hair. “Bed,” he said as he pushed Tony toward the bed. They lay on one side of the double mattress bed, Steve on top of Tony. 

Steve moved to the side and unbuckled Tony’s belt. He slapped Tony’s hand away when he moved to help him. Instead, he slowly unbuttoned and unzipped Tony’s trousers, opening them excruciatingly slowly. Stark wore nothing under them and sprang, hot and hard, into Steve’s hand. 

“You’re already leaking,” Steve teased as he kissed the glistening head, lapping up the wetness with his tongue.

Tony said nothing, his breath coming faster. 

Steve licked his lips as he ran a finger along the vein on the underside. He could feel Tony flexing his hips, trying to arch into the touch. “Like that?” He leaned down and ran his tongue along the same path. 

“Please, more.” 

“Stark begging?” Steve smiled up at Tony and slipped his mouth down over him, taking as much as he could into his mouth, letting his tongue dart out and slide down the rest of the length. 

“Fuck!” 

It was almost quiet except for the sounds of Steve licking and sucking, and the sounds of Tony groaning. Tony grabbed Steve’s hair and pushed himself up and deeper into this mouth, into his throat. Steve stopped before Tony could finish, much to Tony’s chagrin. 

“What the hell?” 

Steve shushed him and removed his own trousers, then finished removing Tony’s. He lay down beside Tony, pressing his own cock against Stark’s hip as he leaned down and kissed Tony, letting him taste himself on Steve’s tongue. 

Tony turned onto his side, facing Steve. He moved closer so their cocks were pressed side by side between them. Steve began to thrust, reaching down to between them to hold them together in his hand. Tony put his hands around Steve’s waist, holding him tight as he kissed Steve, sliding his tongue deep into Steve’s mouth, breathing his breath. 

They looked into one another’s eyes, both searching for something and finding it. They broke the kiss and put their faces cheek to cheek so if either of them spoke, they were against the other one’s ear. Steve was panting as they moved faster, both straining to find the perfect angle, the perfect position. 

Tony whispered in Steve’s ear. “Yes, that’s it, mmm, oh god, ohgodohSteve, coming!” He did, spilling himself between them and into Steve’s hand. Steve shifted position just a little, sort of pressing Tony into the bed as he rammed against him, his cock sliding against Tony’s cock and into his own slick hand. 

He pushed hard one last time and held Tony tight as he came, his semen spilling out between them as Tony’s had. He sought Tony’s mouth and kissed him deeply, stroking Tony’s tongue with his until they both lay still. 

They heard them in the distance – the bells in the nearby town ringing. It was midnight and Christmas had come. 

Tony reached up and smoothed Steve’s hair back out of his face and kissed his cheek. “Merry Christmas, Cap.”

Steve just closed his eyes and lay his head against Tony’s. Neither of them moved until the morning light shone through the windows.


End file.
